Paper cup



H. CAREW PAPER CUP Nov. 2, 1943.

Original Filed March 8, 1941 Fal-L :r' HERMA/v C'mew.

Ratented Nov. 2, 1943 l PAPER CUP Herman Carevr, Easton, Pa., assignerto Dixie- Vortex Company, Delaware Original application 382,300. Dividedand Chicago, lll., a corporation oi' March 8, 1941, Serial No. thisapplication January 14, 1942, Serial No. 426,657

(Cl. 22S-1.5)

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a paper cup of a type highlydesirable for use with a holder in drug, confectionary and similarstores for the dispensing of individual soft drinks, sodas.'

etc., although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will beapparent to one skilled` in the art.

This application is a division of my copending application entitled"Paper cup and holder therefor, filled March 8, 1941, Serial No.382,300.

yIn-the'past, many and various types of holders for paper drinking cupshave been provided, and the cups have been temporarily locked in theholders in various ways, if there has been any securement whatsoeverbetween the cup and holder. known, insofar `as I am aware. necessitatedpatient painstaking efiort on the part of the operator to properly lockthe cup in the holder against accidental falling out, requiring an ob-'I'he form oi' securement heretofore jectionable amount of time on thepart of the operator. In those types of holders where there is noattachment whatever between the cup and holder, the cup has a tendencyto fall out of the holder when tipped. This is especially true when cupsof the size for the serving of ice cream Another object of the inventionis the pmvision of a conical paper drinking cup soconstructed andarranged that the cup may be carelessly tossed point end ilrst into aholder and an automatic attachment between the cup and holder sumcientto prevent accidental dislodge-l ment will result by virtue of the cupinto the holder.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a paper cuphaving a substantially rethe entrance of silient or freely springinglocking tab project-v ing therefrom in a manner'to automatically engageaportion of the holder when the cup is placed in the holder, without anynecessity of making any effort to align or register the cup relativelyto the holder.

{Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of aconical paper cup having a tab freely projecting from the body of tliecup in the apexial region thereof, which tab is shaped to automaticallyprovide a locking or latching engagement with a shoulder in a holdersodas, melted milks and thelike are used, since such a cup projects outof the holder to a degree that renders the cup and its contentstop-heavy. This condition is aggravated when a conical cup is used in aholder with no means of attachment therebetween. The conical cup flaresso widely at the top that it is top-heavy and tends to fall out of theholder when the holder is tipped to drinking position. While stabilityis provided during the consuming of the major portion of the contents,when the cup is tipped sumcien'tly in drinking position to be entirelyemptied, the cup has a tendency to fall out of the holder down over the'apparel of the customer. In addition, in all cases of cups and holdershereto-` fore known of which I am aware the cup, and

frequently adjacent cups, was oontactedby the naked hand of the server,to facilitate the placing oi' the cup in the holder. f

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the presentinvention to provide a paper drinking cup so constructed and arrangedthat the cup may be placed or ltossed into a holder in even a verycareless manner,

with no attempt at positioning the cup'in any degree-of circularalignment with a holder, and the cup will automatically attach itself tothe holder in a manner to prevent accidental disor the like when the cupis placed therein.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a conical paper cuphaving a'locking tab freely projecting therefrom, which cup may bemanufactured or formed with -no additional eil'ort over that necessaryto form a similarly shaped cup Without a, locking tab.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a conicalpaper cup constructed so as to provide automatic engagement with aholder, and so arranged that .such engagement may be provided with aholder in a readily and facile manner without any necessity for anattendant-to contact the inside of the cup with his nger at any time.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantagesof the present invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a conical cup embodyingprinciples ofthe present invention may be formed; Figure 2 is a partsectional part elevational Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plansectional l view taken substantially as indicated by the stag-A geredsection line III--III of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawing:

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is shown aconical paper drinking cup generally indicated by numeral 5, which maybe made from a blank of the character seen in Figure l. The blank is oiany suitable material, such as paper of the character commonly used formaking paper drinking cups, preferably ofthe so-called idry wax type,wherein the paper is impregnated with a wax to render the y:i :frwaterproof, but the wax is not visible on the surface oi the paper.

The blank is substantially sector-shaped and includes an arcuate edge i3which ultimately defines the mouth end of the completed cup, and a pairof converging side edges 'i and d. One oi the side edges-in thisinstance the edge i-is ofl'set from the center` of the arc t and theother side edge preferably leads from a point at or near the center ofthe arcuate edge 6, and is somewhat curvate to expedite forming of theresultant cup. Between the inner ends of the converging edges l? and d,a projection or tab S is provided which ultimately forms Vthe lockingtab on the completed cup. it will be noted that the locking taleA 9 hasa curved contour and that at one point the contour is such as to providea notch i@ for a purpose which will later appear.

When the hlanlr is shaped into the cup 5, the blank is rolledconvolutely from the margin t toward the margin i, andthe marginalportions adjacent the edges i and 8 are secured together, as, forexample, by a, strip of adhesive ii previously applied yto the blankmargin adjacent the edge l. It will be noted that the adhesive ii doesnotreach the outer projecting portion of the tab 9, but is spacedinwardly so that a large portion of this tab is left free from adhesiveeven after `the adhesive may be somewhat spread by the application of,pressure during the forming of the cup.

The blank may be rolled or otherwise formed into cup shape with anysuitable mechanism, to produce the cup 5. Preferably, during the formingor thereafter, the cupV is provided with a turned drinking rim l2, asseenin Figure 2. When the cup is formed, it will he noted from a showingin Figures 2 and 3 that the tab d projects freely -from the body of thecup in the apexial region thereof. The tab will be somewhat resilient oroutwardly springing ,by virtue of the rolling oi the paper stock, andthe elimination of adhesive from the projecting part of the tab. Thus,the tab will lalways tend to assume an outward positionr somewhat awayfrom the body of the container.

holder is hollow as indicated at i5 and the lower end of the holder isoutwardly :dared to provide a stable base it. A handle il of desirableshape is provided so thats the holder, the cup,I and its.

contents may all be easily lifted by the handle. Inside the hollow i5 isa freely projecting portion it preferably of the same taper interiorlyas the part It of the holder and the outer wall of the cup. The portioni8 terminates abruptly to provide a shoulder I9 extending freely intothe space i5 away from the outer wall of the holder When the cup isposition seen in Figure 2, the locmng tab 9 automatically springsoutwardly beneath the shoulder i9 and thereby attaches the cup to theholder in a manner suiiicient to prevent accidental dislodgement of thecup. in fact, the holder and cup may be completely inverted without thecup failing from the holder. Of course, when it is desired to remove ordiscard the empty cup, it is a simple expedient to pull the cup from theholder regardless or the resistance oi the tab ii. en the cup isassembledwith the holder, the notch i@ in the locking tab t ispreferably engaged by an edge of the shoulder it. it. will be noted thaton each side of the notch i@ the contour oi the tab is in the formationoi a pair of intersecting arcs so that any movement of the cup tendingtoward removal from the holder causes a camming action of the adjacentcontour until the edge of the shoulder i@ is engaged within the notch,vthereby amplifying the latching power of the tab Q.

In use, it is a simple expedient to take one of the cups 5 from a stackof cups or a dispenser,

and place or toss it in a holder i3. lin so placing the' cup securely inthe holder, neither any particular pains or degree oi care, nor anyregistering of a particular part of the cup with a par-y I ticular parto the holder is necessary. The cup may be easily and carelessly tossedor thrown into the holden and the springing locking tab t automaticallyengages beneath the shoulder B and unites the cup with the holderagainst accidental dislodgenient.

lihe present invention also lends itself to a somewhat dierent use thanabove described, but which use is extremely simplehighly sanitary, andmay be perfumed with equal or greater facility.

For example, if the' ultimate msamtanon isy desired, so that the handsoi an attendant need not touch' the cup even on the outside, a holder:may be taken andpushed over a cup, that is, the outermost cup in astack oi nested cups, suiciently to cause latching engagement by thetab@ with its notch iii and then the-cup may be removed from the stackmerely by pulling away the holder carrying the cup therewith.

Such method of engaging a cup within a holder solely by the actuation ofthe holder, is more fully described and claimed in my aforesaidcopending application.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that i have provided a novel papercup constructed and arranged ior an automatic and highly simple lockingof the cup within the holder even when the cup is introduced into theholder in the most careless manner. it will also he appreciated that thecup is of highly emcient yeteirtremely economieal construction,` the cupitself costing no more to manufacture than a similarly shaped cup notequipped with my novel locking tab. It should also be borne in mind thatconstruction of the locking tab is such as to cause a camming action toinsure a positive engagement between the tab and the holder sufficientto prevent accidental dislodgement of the cup. f

It will, of course, be understood that various ,details of .constructionmay be varied through placed in the holder. to the I I claim as myinvention:

l. As an article of manufacture, a conical paper cup made from asubstantially sectortab having a notch therein deiined by a pair ofconverging arcuate edge portions to provide a camming action toward saidnotch when the cup is seated in a holder behind a shoulder.

3. As an article of manufacture, a paper cup adapted to t in a holderwith its lower part projecting beyond the fit, comprising a cup body anda resilient latching tab at a lower part of the body projecting bodilyand laterally from. the outer cup surface, said tab being formed toprovide an abutment shoulder on an upper edge thereof adjacent saidouter surface of the cup, and said tab being deiiectable as it passesthrough the holder .for lato-hing said shoulder in engagement with theholder to retain the cup against accidental displacement from theholder.

HERMAN CAREW.`

